Page 123 of The Formation of Us

“Riding.”

“How? You left the gelding tied to a tree. You’ve been gone for hours!”

“I n-needed to talk to grandma.”

“Why didn’t you bring the gelding with you?”

“I don’t know.” Rebecca buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Radford scraped his hair back with both hands and looked at their mother. “What the hell is going on here?”

“Your daughter is suffering her first broken heart, Radford. And you’re not helping.”

“A broken heart from what?” he demanded.

Rebecca didn’t answer.

Duke still didn’t know where Adam was, and it worried him. The boy had been gone all day. He was half-dressed, and probably starving by now. “Rebecca, have you seen Adam?”

She nodded and cast a worried look at her father.

Radford gaped at her. “Were you with him today?”

“Y-yes.”

“Damn it, Duke!” Radford rose to his feet, fire burning in his eyes. “If that boy did anything to my daughter, I’ll wring his neck.”

“That boy is practically my son, Radford. You’re the one who’s hurting Rebecca, not Adam.”

Radford grabbed the front of Duke’s jacket and jerked him toward Rebecca. “Look at her. I didn’t cause those tears. Now you keep Adam the hell away from her!”

Furious at being manhandled, Duke shoved Radford back a step, but Radford didn’t let go. “Your daughter is growing up, and you’d better accept it.”

“This has nothing to do with her growing up. It’s her sneaking around with Adam I can’t accept. And I’m telling you for the last time, I won’t stand for it.”

Duke clamped his hands over Radford’s fists. “Well, I won’t stand for your unwarranted accusations. Adam has suffered enough unjust treatment, and I won’t stand aside and let anyone, be it some crazy judge or my own damned brother, do any more harm to that boy. Now take your hands off me.”

“Stop this!” Their mother shot to her feet. “Both of you!”

Duke faced Radford glare for glare. “I’m sick of you pointing the finger at Adam every time you lose track of your daughter.”

Radford’s eyes flashed. “Until Adam came around, Rebecca didn’t run off. She was hurt once because I wasn’t vigilant enough. If that makes me overprotective, too damned bad. She’s my first concern. And if yoursonhurts her again, I’ll go through you and anybody else to put a stop to it.”

“Radford!” Nancy Grayson clutched her son’s arm and gave it a hard shake. “What has gotten into you?”

“I’ve had enough,” he said, and Duke knew he meant it.

But Duke had reached his own limit. Adam would never hurt Rebecca, and the boy shouldn’t get blamed because Rebecca was showing some backbone. He wrenched Radford’s hands off his jacket, then knelt in front of the girl. “I’m sorry about what just happened here,” he said, wishing he would have controlled his temper for her sake. “Where did you see Adam?”

“By your b-boat,” she said, her face awash in tears.

“Thanks, Sprite.” He hugged her, then stood and faced his brother. “What are you going to do when some father tells you that your son isn’t good enough for his daughter?”

o0o

The sound of Adam crying pierced Duke’s heart. He lifted the branches out of his way and ducked into the small clearing.

Pine needles stuck out of Adam’s hair and his head was bleeding. Duke knelt beside the boy.